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Patented Aug. 23, i898. W. M. MYERS.

FENCE POST.

(Application filed Aug. 20, 1897.)

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No. 609,454. Patented Aug. 23, |898.

W. M. MYERS. Y

FENCE POST.

(Application tiled Aug. 20, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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ATES

-WILLIAM M. MYERS, QF ROCILANE, INDANA.

FENGE- P O ST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,454, dated August es, lees. Application fiiedrugua 20,1897. srniraeiagos. moineau To @ZZ whom it may' concern:

`Be it known that I, WILIJIAM M. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rocklane, in the county of Johnson and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Fence-Post, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to fences, and particularly to fence-posts, the object in view being to provide a simple and efficient construction and arrangement ofl parts whereby a post may be used either as a single or line post or as a double or corner post, the arrangement of the post in either position being such as to adapt it to adj ust itself to varying strains and Athe yielding of the anchoring devices.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a fence, including posts, constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View of the joint between the angularly-disposed post-sections on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the false standard and one of the clips by which thesame is secured in operative position with relation to the uprights. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a portion of a fence, showing a wooden post constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View of the joint between the post-sections on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

rlhe post embodying my invention is of sectional construction, the sections being identical and each including an upright 1, of crosssectionally fiat construction, provided with a lateral strengthening-rib 2, which extends continuously from one end of the upright to the other, and an inclined brace 3, secured at its upper end lto the upright at an intermediate point and constructed" of such a length and arranged at such an angle'thatthe lower enlarged foot portion l thereof is disposed at a distance from the lower end of the upright approximately equal to the length of the upright. The foot of the brace is connected with the lower end of the Vupright by means of a brace wire or rod 5 of looped construction. The upper extremity of the brace may also be enlarged, as shown at 6, and it is adapted to bear against the contiguous sur face of the rib 2. These sections when designed for use in connection with a line-fence are arranged with the uprights parallel with and contiguous to each other, and in order to give lateral support to the post I prefer to employ a false stan dard 7, interposed between the main standards 1 and held in place by means of stirrup-shaped clips 8, said clips being provided with returned extremities 9,

which engage the rear edges of the main standards, the looped portions of the clips being arranged between the contiguous sides of the main luprights and receiving the false standard in such a position as to resist the strain of the fence-runners.

The lower ends of the main standards and the braces are adapted to be arranged upon the surface of the ground and preferably resting upon fixed supports, such as pillars or blocks l0. The post-sections are unconnected with the pillars or `blocks and are held in their normal positions, so far as longitudinal displacement is concerned, by meansof a sunken anchor 11 and an anchor rod or wire 12, of which the looped portion engages both uprights contiguous to the angle formed between the uprights and the brace rods or wires 5. When in use as a terminal line-post, the spacing of the main uprights or standards allows the fence-runners 13 to occupy a plane between those of the lower ends of the uprights and braces, any suitable means being employed for attaching the extremities of the runners to the false standard, which also may be of any desired length to suit the height of the proposed fence. v

When it is desired to use the post at the corner of a fence structure, the members thereof are arranged relatively at an" angle of ninety degrees with the braces at the inner sides 0f the main uprights, the false upright or standard being" dispensedfwith vand the runners being carriedaroundy the" main uprights and secured thereto in any suitable or preferred manner. The laterally-projecting strengthening-ribs 2, with whichthe main IOO uprights are provided, are arranged at intermediate points of the widths of the said uprights, and hence combine therewith to form rabbets or angular seats 14 on the outside of the rear edge of each main upright, and when the post-sections are disposed in the right-angular relation shown at the right in Fig. l these seats fit together to form an interlocking connection, also shown clearly in Fig. 2, whereby the post-sections are mutually bracing, the common anchor-loop l2, above described in connection with the post in its sectionally parallel position, being used in connection with the same position shown at the right in Fig. l.

From the above description it will be seen that the essential feature of my improved post is that it is not seated in the ground, but upon stationary pillars or blocks, which form bearings therefor, and that the anchorloops, which engage both uprights and ineline downwardly therefrom upon the opposite side from the inclined braces at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees, hold the post-sections from sliding in the direction of strain applied to the uprights. The strain applied by the runners of a fence to the uprights has a tendency to move the sections horizontally upon the bearing pillars or blocks, and if the anchor-loops were arranged approximately in alinement with this strain or in an approximately horizontal position said loops would be subjected to a tensile strain equal to the combined tension upon all of the runners. By arranging the anchorloop in a downwardly-inclined position upon the opposite side of the uprights from the braces, however, the effect of the anchorloop is to cause downward pressure of the uprights and braces upon their bearing-blocks when the uprights are strained by the runners, and this downward pressure causes sufficient frictional contact between the uprights and braces and their bearing-blocks to resist a large proportion of the strain of the runners, and thus enables me to construct the anchor-loops of less section than would be necessary if subjected to the abovementioned tensile strain and also enabling me to obtain, by reason of the braces, a firm support of the uprights against displacement by the strain of the runners. Furthermore, in case the anchor-loops should yield under the strain to which they are subjected the horizontal movement of the post-sections upon their bearing-blocks would take up the slack of the anchor-loops, while not disarran ging any of the parts of the post, the parts would settle to their proper position, and an equalization of strain would result without any adjustment upon the part of the builder.

Furthermore, from the above description it will be seen that the sectional post embodying my invention is adapted to perform the function of either a terminal or a corner post without change, except as to the relain the angular tive positions of the parts, and that in either position the members are adapted to coperate to form a rigid and efficient post.

The braces 3, which may be of cast metal, are constructed separately from the posts, but may be secured thereto at their upper outer ends in anysuitable manner, as by a pin or rivet extending through the brace and into the upright or post; but it will be understood that in order to avoid unnecessary straining,

of this connection andinsure the bodily movement of the post parallel with the strain of the runners in case the anchor rod or wire l2 should yield it is desirable to employ the above-described brace wire or rod 5, by which the preferred relative arrangement of the lower ends of the upright and brace may be preserved at all times. The bearing of the brace against the lateral flange or rib 2 of the upright serves to relieve the pin or other means of fastening of a portion of any strain applied to the brace, and thus reduce the liability of the shearingv of such pin or other means of fastening.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a slightlymodified construction of the post embodying my invention when the material of which they are made is wood instead of metal, as in the preferred form of post illustrated in Figs. l to 3. In said modified construction the post-sections each comprise an upright or standard l, to the lower end of which is attached a rigid base 5a, preferably secured to the outer surface of the upright and held in the desired position with relation to the upright by means of a diagonal brace 3a, said brace also being secured to the side of the upright and being preferably stepped into the upper edge of the base. In this construction I dispense with the use of the false upright, for the reason that the attachment of the bases to the outer sides of the uprights forms a sufficiently broad base for the post to support the same against lateral strain, the anchors and bearing pillars or blocks corresponding in construction and arrangement with those described in connection with the preferred form of my invention.

In order to provide for the interlocking connection between the members of the post when arranged as a corner-post, as shown at the right in Fig. 4t, I arrange the vertical extremities of the base-bars and braces at or opposite the longitudinal centers of the uprights, whereby when the parts are arranged, as indicated, for corner-posts the rabbets 14a, formed between said vertical extremities of the base-bars and braces and the contiguous portions of the surfaces of the uprights, form an interlocking joint. parts is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that other modifications of the sectional post forming the subject-matter of my invention may be adopted and that various chan ges in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction This arrangement of IOO IIO

may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I l. A sectional fence-post comprising separate members, each having an upright and means for bracing the same, and adapted to be arranged in parallel positions, said uprights being provided with parallel rabbets or seats adapted to be engaged to form an interlocking connection,substantially as specified.

2. A sectional fence-post, each member of which consists of an upright, and bracing devices attached to and carried bythe upright, in combination with bearing-blocks for snpporting the uprights and bracing devices, and an anchor-loop engaging the uprights contiguous to their lower ends and inclining downwardly therefrom,substantially as specified.

3. A sectional fence-post, each member of which consists of an upright and an inclined brace arranged in a common vertical plane, and a looped brace connecting the uprights and diagonal braces belowT their points of Contact, in combination with bearing-blocks disposed beneath the lower ends of the uprights and diagonal braces, a sunken anchor, and an anchor-loop attached to the anchor and engaging the uprights of both post-sections above the plane of said looped brace, said anchor-loop extending downwardly and rearwardly at an angle of y approximately forty-five degrees from the uprights, substantially as specified.

4. A sectional fence-post comprising separable members each consisting of an upright provided with a lateral longitudinal rib arranged at an intermediate point of the width of the upright and combining therewith to form a rabbet or seat, a diagonal brace bearing at its upper end against said lateral rib, and a looped brace connecting the upright and diagonal brace below their points of contact, substantially as specified.

5. A sectional fence-post comprising separable members each consisting of an upright and means for bracing the sam-e, in combination with a false standard interposed between said uprights, and stirrups disposed between and engaged with the uprights and forming seats for the false standard, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. y

WILLIAM M. MYERS. Witnesses:

WrLLrAM S. STEVENS, CHARLES A. WRIGHT. 

